My King, My Love
by railwriter
Summary: A young woman finds herself bound to one of the oldest known Vampire covens. Will she find her true mate? Or will her body and soul be destroyed by a feud older than history?
1. Chapter 1

Leila was starting to panic.

She should have known better than to go out into the woods so late in the day. She had justified it to herself by saying she needed more firewood, and it was true, but she mostly just wanted a break from the solitude of her spacious cabin. All her life she had wanted a big house in the woods where she could write her novels in peace and now that she had it, she made up any excuse to leave. She had moved to Forks two years ago after traveling everywhere she could think to go. It had always been her dream to travel the world, and when her parents passed away suddenly and left here everything it had seemed like the perfect opportunity. _They would have been proud of the way things have turned out_, she thought to herself, _I was always their fierce take-charge little girl._

But right now she did not feel like a "take-charge" anything. It was getting darker and she was nowhere close to getting home. She knew these woods like the back of her hand but the snow had recently fallen and covered many of her tracks and trail markers. She knew she was somewhere near the Cullen house but wasn't quite sure how to make it to the road and back to her own house a few miles away. As she moved deeper and deeper into the woods she could hear a crackling campfire and two heavily accented voices. They were talking about ruling in a castle and their skin beginning to petrify. They mentioned a name: _The Volturi;_ and Leila's heart stood still. She didn't see where she was stepping and all of a sudden, there was a loud snap as a fallen branch broke beneath her foot. In an instant Rosalie Hale, one of Dr. Cullen's twins, was beside her. Her eyes were - different now. Whenever Leila saw the Cullens in town, they had brown eyes, but now those same eyes were an eerie shade of gold. Rosalie wordlessly escorted her to the large bonfire where a group of people sat around with the Cullens. She barely had time to notice that some of those people's eyes were _red_ and that those same people looked _very hungry._

"H-h-hello Dr. Cullen," She said as she stood in front of Carlisle, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you. I was just out walking and got a little lost."

"Leila, it's quite all right." Carlisle replied,looking stressed. "We were having some - guests- over to visit. We weren't expecting to see you out and about." He turned to the others and said: "This is our neighbor, Leila Parker. Leila, this is everyone."

Some of Dr. Cullen's friends snickered. Leila stole a glance at the group. She knew right away what they were. _Vampires. _As soon as the thought entered her head, Edward Cullen's eyes went wide with shock.

"She knows Carlisle," He said, jumping to his feet and coming to stand in front of her, "But how?" He asked.

Leila turned to face the two vampires who were sitting alone together at the far end of the fire. As she did, she pulled her necklace out from her jacket so that it hung in full view of the entire group. It was a large golden crest with two dragons; one black and one white. The two men stared in shock. The white-haired one looked angry and the dark haired one looked both pleased and confused. She held her head high and said:

"Because I know of those two-" she gestured to Vladimir and Stefan, "I spent a week trapped in the ruins of their castle in Romania."


	2. Chapter 2

**I was not planning on writing an extra chapter tonight, but I did. I hope you have enjoyed my little tale thus far. **

"What trickery is this?" Vladimir demanded, rising to his feet. His intent was clear: he was going to kill her. Leila closed her eyes and waited for the killing blow. She opened her eyes a second later when she realized he wasn't going to strike her.

Stefan had put his hand out in front of his brother and gave a ghost of a smile to Leila. She felt immediately reassured.

"Patience, brother," he said in a deep baritone that made Leila want to was so handsome. His eyes were bright red and clear. His raven hair made a striking contrast to his pale skin. His clothes were old-fashioned and she saw the outline of his neatly toned body beneath his shirt. His hands were beautiful and she wondered to herself how they might feel on her bare breasts. Edward cleared his throat next to her and shifted uncomfortably. Stefan's eyes studied her carefully, as though he knew exactly what she was thinking.

"Let the girl tell her tale." He continued, "I am quite curious to hear it."

Leila sat down on one of the logs and began:

"About a year and a half ago, I went on a tour of Eastern Europe. I had always wanted to go to the Black Sea and hike in the mountains. I wound up in Romania around winter and even though everyone I knew told me I was crazy, I was determined to do it no matter what. I bought some cold weather gear and set out with some of my more adventurous friends who live in the area. About two days into our trip, I got separated from them with no way to get in to contact with any of them. Against my better judgment I decided to look for shelter instead of staying put. I began to walk and it had only been a few hours when I wound up on a path into an enclosed valley in the mountains. I could make out the ruins of a castle but there are so many castle ruins all over Europe I didn't think anything of it. I began to walk toward one of the walls, thinking I could take shelter there when all of a sudden I heard what I now know was a wooden door breaking beneath me. I fell a long way and blacked out when I hit the ground."

"How did you survive the fall?" Dr Cullen asked.

"I am still not sure. The ground was made of stone." She replied. " I tried to get up, but my ankle hurt too badly to walk on, so I rummaged in my pack for my flashlight and when I got it on I saw the remains of an ancient, burned out room. I couldn't really see a way out and through the hole in the roof I could see the sky getting dark so I just pulled out my sleeping bag and went to bed."

The majority of the vampires were now huddled close, clinging to every word she said. Edward's wife came and sat by her husband. Leila suddenly felt very exposed and alone. She shifted nervously and continued:

"Anyways, I woke up a few hours later and decided to get my bearings. My leg felt better so I began to walk around looking for something to use as a ladder. There was nothing. I did find some torches and a large hearth so I put everything wooden I could find in the hearth and lit a fire and the torches so I could see. The hall I was in was very beautiful once, I could tell. You could tell that a fire had destroyed the castle, but the structure I was in was still intact. There was a door near a wall with the charred remains of some tapestries. I took a torch with me and did some exploring."

"How very bold of you." Vladimir said coldly. "But how did you get that crest? And how do you know who we are? You have left my questions unanswered, _child_, and I am unaccustomed to such discourtesy."

"I was just getting to that." She interjected. "I didn't find much of anything the first few days. Just ashes and broken chairs. But on the fifth day, I made my way into what appeared to be someone's bedroom. The bed was destroyed but I found the crest underneath it. It looked out of place, like someone had put it there on purpose. It was too clean to have been there for long. By the time I noticed Alina, it was too late. She was a vampire, like you. I thought for sure she was going to kill me but she didn't. She told me about what had happened with The Volturi and how your coven had been ambushed and everyone died but you and Stefan. Alina was with your mates during the battle. The Volturi spared her but forced her to stay in the castle as a punishment, and to preserve the secret of what that place was. She has kept it hidden for centuries. She had been watching me for days, placing things in my way, like the torches, so that I could make my way through the castle and find her. At first I was pretty angry that she would play with me like that but then she gave me the crest. She told me it belonged to me now and that she was taking me home. She took me back to my friends' house in Bucharest and told me that I was sure to meet you one day. I was told to tell you that she is not the only one of your kind who remains loyal to your coven. There are many who would proudly call the both of you their kings again. I made up some story about finding my own way back and that is really all there is to tell."

Vladimir and Stefan looked at each other in surprise. A blonde woman sitting next to a woman who looked like her sister and a dark haired man and woman who looked like mates looked at the Romanians and spoke:

"I had seen the ruins of the castle, but I had no idea Alina was there."

"No one knew, Tanya." Stefan replied. "Not even Vladimir and I. The girl is the first living creature to see that castle and live."

Vladimir stood. "But not for long, I am afraid. We must kill her. If we do not the Volturi will, and they will not show mercy as we shall."

"Wait," Carlisle interjected. "We can turn her. I know Leila. She doesn't have any family. She would be a welcome addition into our community.

The other vampires all nodded and voiced their agreement. The one named Randall smiled sweetly at her.

Dr. Cullen's wife, Esme, took Leila by the arm and smiled. "Well, it's settled then. You can stay with us as long as you like. But we do have to turn you tonight. The Volturi are headed this way."

They all spent the next hour telling her what had happened with Edward and Bella's child and how the Volturi were coming because they believed Renesme to be an immortal child. Is she was not changed tonight it was possible that she and all the other vampires present could be punished for allowing a human to know their secret. They voted to give Leila the choice of who should turn her.

"I pick Stefan." She said. "I want him."

The ancient vampire smiled a genuine smile this time.

"You do not know what you are asking, my dear." He said as he took her hand. "But I shall grant your wish nonetheless."

"Good, um… we should go back to my house then." She turned to Dr. Cullen. "Is that alright?"

"We can go wherever you are most comfortable, Leila." He replied.

Stefan and a couple of the nomads escorted Leila back to her cabin. She led them to her bedroom and sat down on the edge of her bed.

"What do I do now?" She asked, her blue eyes shining with uncertainty.

"Stefan will bite you and inject you with his venom and you will change," Randall said. Leila was happy he had come along. "It will take a few days but you will come out of it everything turns out in our favor we will come back for you. If not…" He trailed off, not knowing what to tell her.

"Thank you." She said as she turned to Stefan, who was now sitting beside her with his arm around her waist." I'm ready now."

The nomads left the room and it was just the two of them. He guided her to stand in front of him. She had never been so enchanted by anyone in her short twenty eight years on this earth. He could tear her to pieces right now and she would have wept for joy at his every touch. He swept back her long chestnut hair and briefly nuzzled her neck, murmuring endearments in his native tounge. Then, without warning his sharp teeth sank into her neck, slicing into her jugular. He drank for a minute, and then another sensation swept over her. She felt a slow burning feeling creep all over her body as he laid her down on the bed. The last thing she remembered was his lips on hers and the words he said as he shut her door:

"I will come back for you, my mate."


	3. Chapter 3

The snow stuck to the ground of the open field where the Cullens and their allies assembled. Vladimir and Stefan were off to the side while the Cullens were front and center, surrounded by nomads. In front of them, the Volturi and their witnesses gathered to destroy the Cullens and their allies.

Stefan could not stop thinking about Leila.

_She will be alone if we do not succeed. A newborn vampire who has no idea how to live in our world. The Volturi will surely destroy her. I can't let that happen again. We must not fail!_

He had known why Alina had spared her life the moment he saw her. Leila was a mirror image of his beloved Isolde. He had lost her centuries ago, and now fate seemed to be giving her back to him. He glared at the three kings from across the field, his resolve strengthened by the need to see her once more. They would not take her from him again.

The Cullen child was touching Aro's face. He laughed his insane laugh as he was mesmerized by the girl. The Volturi quickly saw that Renesme was not an immortal child. When Irina's mistake was discovered she paid the ultimate price for it. Stefan felt bad about that. He and Vladimir had known Irina and her sisters for centuries. Vladimir and Tanya had briefly been lovers, while Kate and Stefan had shared a mutual flirtation. They were good girls and Stefan could not stomach the injustice of Irina's death. Shortly after, Alice Cullen appeared with her witnesses and the Volturi made a hasty retreat. The Cullens chose not to pursue them. Stefan and Vladimir loudly protested this. The Volturi would not forget what had happened today. They would be back to pick of everyone who had opposed them. One by one. They had shouted as much at Carlisle, but the "vegetarians" did not heed their warning. Vladimir put his hand on Stefan's shoulder and wordlessly told him that they should leave the Cullens and their allies to their foolishness. They ran as fast as they could through the trees before Stefan stopped abruptly as they neared the ocean.

"What is it brother?" Vladimir asked.

"It's Leila, I need to go back to her." Stefan replied.

"What about her? Let Carlisle take care of the newborn. She is not our concern anymore."

"I can't do that, Vladimir, and you know why." Stefan sighed. "She is the very image of my Isolde. I turned her, and in doing so I took responsibility for her. I want to know who she is and where she came from, and why she looks like my mate."

"It's just a trick." Vladimir sneered, "Alina may very well be alive but she is under the rule of the Volturi now. This is just their way of trying to defeat us once again. They sent Leila to manipulate you! It seems they have succeeded."

Stefan snarled and turned away from his closest friend.

"Who the hell do you think you are, talking like that?" Stefan roared, "Do you take me for a fool? I know a trap when I see one and this isn't it! For better or for worse that girl's destiny is liked to mine. I must go back to her and find out why!"

"You aren't the only one who lost a mate to the Volturi," Vladimir retorted, "I lost my wife too but you don't see me chasing after every human girl who looks like her!"

Vladimir looked at him with pain and betrayal in his eyes as he continued: "I see my mate everywhere. The centuries have not taken her memory from me. Believe me, my friend, I know the pain you are feeling. But Leila is not your wife. You did her a favor by giving her immortality but let that be the end of it. To pursue this any further will only bring you sorrow."

"I can't leave her, Vladimir." Stefan said mournfully, "Please understand. You are like a brother to me, but she is my mate. I feel the same connection to her that I did with Isolde. They are one and the same, I just know they are."

"If you do this, do it without me." Vladimir said. "Come back to the hideout when you have come to your senses. Alone."

He turned and left Stefan standing alone on the shore. Stefan shook his head and headed back to Forks as quickly as he could. Vladimir would come around eventually. For now he focused his thoughts on the beautiful newborn waiting for him…

_Meanwhile…_

Leila laid there on her bed and burned for what seemed like forever. Time was irrelevant. She watched her life slowly pass before her eyes. Then she saw only darkness. The burning subsided after what seemed like ages and there was peace. She did not know how long she remained in the blackness, or how long it had been since her heart had stilled. She suddenly felt like she should get up. Her eyes fluttered open and Stefan was standing at the edge of her bed.

"It's about time you opened your eyes." He said softly, that elusive smile ghosting at his lips again.

"Stefan!" She exclaimed as she stood up. "You're back! I guess that means the good guys won, huh?"

"In a manner of speaking, yes." He replied. "But we can talk about that later, my dear. You need to feed."

"Yes, she does." A voice behind him said. It was Dr. Cullen. He had come with Jasper, Alice, and the nomad, Randall. There was a large glass in his hand full of blood. He handed it to Leila.

"Drink this," he said. "Then later, you can go hunt. My family lives on the blood of animals, but you may choose to feed on either animals or humans."

Leila took the glass and downed it in one gulp. She didn't care how foolish she looked, she was _thirsty. _It was the sweetest thing she had ever tasted. When she was done, she looked around and took in the scene around her. Randall and the Cullens were standing by her dresser looking at her like she was a bull in a China shop.

"How do you feel, Leila?" Dr. Cullen asked.

"Fine, fine," she replied, "Were you expecting me to do something?"

"Most newborns don't have much self-control" Jasper said.

"Oh," she replied. "Well, I feel fine. Perfectly normal."

Randall laughed and smiled at her.

"You're a peculiar one, Miss Leila." He said teasingly.

"Oh, you have no idea," she said flirtatiously. Stefan gave a low growl and moved to stand beside her. Carlisle looked on nervously.

"Well, you should come back to the house with us so we can work things out!" Alice chirped.

Leila was eager to see the other vampires and get better acquainted with her new body. She eagerly followed the older vampires out of her house.


	4. Chapter 4

The next few weeks flew by. Leila learned as much as she could from the Cullen's guests before they left. Stefan's decision to stay in forks was a welcome surprise to her. She was surprised that he took to hunting animals so quickly. Stefan kept a respectful distance from her the whole time, but she often felt his eyes on her when she was training with any of the males in the group; regardless of whether or not they had mates. He had taught her several useful fighting techniques but nothing beyond that. She knew he was interested in her, but he wasn't making any moves on her. It was confusing as hell.

Randall had become a very good friend. He helped her hunt for the best animals, even though he himself preferred human blood. He told her a lot about his life before he had become a vampire. He had been a free spirit living in California. He told her about how he was at Woodstock and even met the Rolling Stones once. Leila couldn't help but notice Stefan lurking by and growling whenever she was with Randall. _Too bad he doesn't know Randall loves Mary_ she thought to herself.

Today was going to be the day she confronted him, she decided. She was tired of the mind games, and thought he should be too. He was thousands of years old, much too old for this type of thing in her opinion. She put on her favorite blue sun dress with her black high heels and let her black hair hang free. The Romanian Coven's crest hung down in between her breasts and called attention to the more than generous cleavage gracing her muscular frame. She loved how becoming a vampire had only enhanced her athletic figure and often compared herself to a statue of some forgotten goddess.

Stefan was sitting on a log in front of the long-extinct campfire where she had first seen him. He was sketching mindlessly into a well worn sketchbook, but turned to look at her when he heard her approach, his eyes sweeping over her in a way that made her feel completely naked.

"Mind if I sit down?" She asked.

"Suit yourself, little one." He replied, turning back to his work as she sat down next to him. She tried to get as close as she could without being obvious. He was sketching a picture of..her? She shook her head and leaned in closer, she had to put her hand on his arm to keep from falling over. She couldn't help notice him smirking.

"Is that…me?" She asked.

"No," he replied, "Although I must admit the resemblance is uncanny."

"Who is she?"

"Someone I knew a long time ago," he said as he flipped through the book, showing her several drawings of the same woman.

"Wow, you have a lot of those. She must have been someone you loved." Leila said, trying not to pry.

"She was," he admitted, "But she died a long time ago. Destroyed by the Volturi."

Leila felt like she had been slapped. That woman was the one Alina had told her about. Stefan's queen. Isolde. Alina had not described Isolde to her, but now that Leila saw what she looked like everything began to make sense.

"Alina chose me then…because I look like her. Your wife. Didn't she?"

"I believe so." Stefan replied. "At the very least she knew you would get my attention. But she could not have gone through so much trouble just to reassure me of the loyalty of a few vampires. There must be another reason."

"None that I can think of." Leila said, shaking her head. "She didn't tell me much about anything, but…she did give me this really old book. I can't read the writing but maybe it will mean something to you. Do you want to see it?"

"Yes!" He exclaimed. "Right away, if you don't mind."

They ran at superhuman speed back to Leila's house. The book was sitting on her couch, right where she had left it. Stefan picked it up and poured through it. He seemed pleased at what he found.

"This is it!" He exclaimed,pacing back and forth. "This is how we can bring the Volturi down! This book holds evidence against Aro, the leader of the Volturi. He murdered his sister and this is his journal. In his own hand he wrote how he plotted to murder his own kin! Once the vampire world knows of this there will be no one to save him! Not even his own brothers will support him!"

"Whoa! Slow down!" Leila said. "I know about the Volturi but Aro had a sister?"

"Yes, she was the mate of Marcus, one of the leaders." He explained. "Marcus has been a hollow shell of a man since his mate died. Oh how he will kill Aro once he knows the truth!"

"Is that what happens when someone's mate dies?" Leila asked. "Do they just turn into emotionless statues?"

"Some of them do. It depends on how strong the relationship was." He said.

"So, when a vampire's mate dies, they never love anyone else, ever again?"

"I am afraid not, my one can compare to a mate. It is like finding the other half of your soul. You are nothing without them, and cannot stand to be apart from them for more than a little while. When your mate dies it is like you have died as well."

"That doesn't make sense," she said, "If you have - had a mate, then why would you - when you turned me, you called me your mate before you left to fight the Volturi."

He was standing very close to brushed back her raven hair and leaned in as if to whisper a secret in her ear. But he didn't. Instead, he held her close and inhaled her scent. Hid hand went to cup her chin and he tilted her face up so that she was looking into his eyes. His lips brushed hers gently and he spoke again:

"I can't explain it. I am afraid I don't fully understand it myself. I have spent centuries mourning Isolde and yet the day you walked into my life I felt like I had been born again. I believe that you and I were destined to meet each other."

Leila reached out and put her arms around his neck. They stood there for a long time, basking in one another's presence until she finally leaned up to kiss him. _He was right_, she thought. It did feel like being born again.

**This is far from over. I have something very exciting coming up in future chapters. And more than a few lemons!**


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